The Sorting Hat's Opinion
by avenirem
Summary: We know which house each of Harry's classmates were sorted into but we don't know why. This short story is from the Sorting Hat's point of view and explains why each of Harry's classmates were sorted into the house they were. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters mentioned in this story. ON HIATUS
1. Meet the Sorting Hat

September 1991

Dear Diary,

You're not really a diary as I'm saying this into a bewildering speech recorder thingy that Dumbledore gave me after this year's Sorting.

He said I should record my thoughts on each year's Sorting and what students I see potential in and why I sorted them into each house; I'm telling you now, I am not giving reasons for every single student I sort each year!

You see, some students do seem to possess qualities that will let them flourish in a particular house whilst others are just a mix and I just pick the house they'll eventually prefer even if I have an 11 year old screaming at me telling me I'm wrong.

I do hate the students some times.

I hate to disappoint them but I'm a trained and experienced Sorting Hat – I know better than they do which is why I choose which house they should be sorted into instead of them. Every year I get at least one student who thinks they know exactly where they should be and they try me on, confident that I'll put them in their desired house, and then they get upset when I try to tell them that they truly belong somewhere else and in a few years they'll thank me for it. Which brings me on to my next complaint. If I'm going to have to make a review of each Sorting then I want my complaints heard!

I think and I always have thought that I am required to sort the students too early. I am a _Sorting_ Hat not a Predict the Future Hat. My job is to sort yet I am given a bunch of 11 year olds and am forced to predict what house they should be in for the next 7 years. An 11 year old will change dramatically over the years and by the end of their time at Hogwarts, a lot of students will probably feel they weren't sorted correctly as opposed to how they felt in their first year. And this year was no different, there will be students disappointed by their 7th year although there were a couple of students that I actually listened to and considered the opinion of this year.

Of course it's obvious as to why I'm being asked to do this and it's not to give me a chance to complain about my life as a Sorting Hat. It's because the famous Harry Potter has arrived at Hogwarts.

Yes, Dumbledore could've just asked me outright what I think of the boy but this is Dumbledore we're talking about- he's never gets straight to the point.

Actually now I think about it he might want to know what the children around Harry Potter will be like or maybe he just wants an account of the Sorting to look back on in the future.

I don't know. You can never tell what Albus Dumbledore is thinking.

Anyway enough about Dumbledore, like I was saying it is quite difficult to sort 11 year olds that haven't fully developed yet. It's because the houses are so different like the founders of the school were. There was Godric Gryffindor, brave and bold, Rowena Ravenclaw, wise and thirsty for knowledge, Helga Hufflepuff, patient and kind and Salazar Slytherin, cunning and ambitious. I remember them well.

I truly don't have a favourite house and I don't have a house that I particularly dislike. All this talk of Slytherin being the bad house is absolute rubbish! Yes they've had a lot of Dark wizards but I remember sorting all of them a lot of them could've easily been in Gryffindor at the time. I remember sorting You Know Who like it was yesterday and I considered putting him in Ravenclaw. He was so looking forward to learning magic and was extremely intelligent. I stand by my decision to put him in Slytherin but that wasn't the only option for him.

After all this talking I feel like I should actually start my review of this year's sorting now. Like I said I'm only going to pick and choose the most interesting student that I had to sort and, my, there were some difficult ones this year but I hope they're all reasonably happy with my decision.

I think I'll do it house by house as there were some notable ones for each house. I'll start with Gryffindor.

Hmmm its funny isn't it?

Gryffindor always seem to come first in everything and on every list. In my song this year I put them first and Slytherin last as I nearly always do. Its just when you think of the four Hogwarts founders, Gryffindor always seems to come to mind first and Slytherin last. Is it because Slytherin is supposedly the worst out of the four?

Right then, I'll do Gryffindor first and then Slytherin second.

Enough chit-chat. The review of the 1991 Sorting will now commence. Gryffindors up first!


	2. Gryffindor

**Gryffindor**

Harry Potter

So I better get right to it and just start with the boy everyone will want to know about. Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived, the one who defeated Voldemort, the Chosen One, etc. Personally I didn't find his mind particularly different to your average eleven year old but he was extremely difficult to sort.

Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were ruled out pretty quickly for Potter. He's reasonably intelligent but doesn't have the same enthusiasm for learning as the Ravenclaws do; come exam time, he wouldn't have enjoyed being with the Ravenclaws. Hufflepuff wasn't really an option- Potter will grow to have a hot temper and Hufflepuff just wasn't a good match for him.

This just left Slytherin and Gryffindor.

As soon as Potter put me on his head, he made it clear he wasn't going into Slytherin. I obviously ignored him- I needed to consider both houses. I still think Potter would've done well in Slytherin. He has ambition and wants to prove himself. He has the potential to rise to the top if he'd been sorted into Slytherin. But Potter seems to be quite modest so maybe Slytherin wasn't for him.

Of course Potter was still hoping for Gryffindor so I did consider it. He's certainly brave enough for Gryffindor and isn't afraid to speak his mind – that was pretty obvious. Potter has a sense of determination in him and a good sense of right and wrong. Gryffindor would suit him perfectly and he wanted it so badly so that is where he went. When Gryffindor is concerned, I do listen to the students preference a bit more because it takes bravery for an eleven year old to tell a talking hat what to do especially having come from a non-magical background. Make no mistakes though, I did not just sort Potter into Gryffindor because he wanted it, it could've easily gone the other way.

Potter will do brilliant things even if he hasn't got ambition or influence of Slytherin to help him and I'm sure Gryffindor will help him grow and flourish into a great wizard.

Parvati Patil

I was in quite a bad mood when it was time to sort Potter as I'd recently had one girl internally screaming at me for splitting her up from her twin. This girl was called Parvati Patil and I'd already sorted her twin into Ravenclaw so she expected to go the same way. She couldn't have been more wrong.

Ravenclaw just wasn't the right place for the second Patil. Ravenclaws value science, logic and creativity. Patil is definitely creative but she doesn't really care about finding new things out to do with science and maths. I can see her excelling in Divination in future years but not Arithmancy and Transfiguration.

Yes I understand that she wanted to stay with her twin and I do normally find myself sorting siblings into the same house but I couldn't sort Parvati Patil into Ravenclaw and her twin couldn't go anywhere else. It was difficult to try and explain to Patil that she couldn't stay with her twin. They are extremely close but I know that they will both make new friends and learn to live without each other so my decision was final – Parvati Patil would not go to Ravenclaw. But where to put her?

Patil prefers arguing and having it out with people than getting revenge which meant that Gryffindor was a better choice than Slytherin. Patil is fiercly loyal to her friends and is quite helpful so Gryffindor or Hufflepuff would be a good choice. However, Patil can hold grudges for quite a while so she'd struggle in Hufflepuff. That just left Gryffindor.

Gryffindor will suit Patil very well and will help her become more confident in herself without spending everyday with her twin.

Hermione Granger

Another girl who wanted Ravenclaw and got Gryffindor was Hermione Granger, although she was much easier than Patil as she was open to both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. And I can see why! Granger was the perfect example of a student who should be sorted into Ravenclaw. She's extremely intelligent, a complete bookworm (which is a good thing!) and loves to learn new things. I took one look in Granger's mind and nearly shouted out Ravenclaw without giving it a second thought. But then I saw something in her mind that made me reconsider.

Intelligence isn't the thing she values most. Yes, she is probably going to come out of Hogwarts with top grades and that seems to be very important to Granger, she wants to do while. I expect that at first that is all she will care about which is why I wanted to sort her into Ravenclaw. But as she grows and matures as a person, Granger will find in herself a desire to make the world a better place for everyone and everything. Of course, she could change the world in Ravenclaw but I felt that Granger's determination meant I had to consider Gryffindor for her.

Gryffindors are brave and loyal and have determination whilst Ravenclaws are calm and collected, logical and wise. Granger has all these attributes. But the question was, which house would she do better in, in the long run?

Of course Slytherin and Hufflepuff were out. Despite being ambitious, Granger is too selfless for Slytherin but too passionate and hot tempered for Hufflepuff. I've already proved that Granger would do well in Ravenclaw and she's a strong character and would do well in Gryffindor.

Once I realised that Granger was such a strong independent girl, I started to lean towards the idea of sorting her into Gryffindor more. She's extremely intelligent and would've done well in Ravenclaw but when difficult times come, she'll be better off in Gryffindor as she'll be a good leader and calm in the face of danger.

Lavender Brown

Might as well do the only other girl to be sorted into Gryffindor as I just did the other two. Her name is Lavender Brown and she was the first Gryffindor I sorted this year. Brown didn't actually take me too long; she was pretty easy to sort, much easier than the other two girls. I didn't really have to consider one or two houses for Brown as one stood out by quite a mile. Brown is so determined to get what she wants which could be a Slytherin trait but she prefers not to upset other people which is more Gryffindor. I didn't really consider Ravenclaw or Slytherin for very long as Brown just didn't suit them very much. I did consider Slytherin for a bit as Brown is ambitious and determined but she's not cunning and calculated enough.

Gryffindor was just perfect for Brown. She's driven and knows what she wants, she's determined and loyal and brave when she needs to be. Gryffindor was the best place for Brown and she'll make a lot of friends there.

Seamus Finnigan

It wasn't just the girls that were difficult, I spent about a minute trying to decide where to put Seamus Finnigan which is quite a long time for me. He showed different traits from three houses which is quite rare as I usually have to decide over two. Finnigan is brave and daring meaning Gryffindor was a possibility, he is kind and just meaning he could be in Hufflepuff and he is curious and seems to be able to do some extraordinary magic meaning he'd be well suited to Ravenclaw. This is an example of when I would welcome the student's opinion but Finnigan didn't seem to have a preference over the houses I was considering. Finnigan wasn't very helpful to me at all.

This caused me to rule out Hufflepuff. Finnigan is quite impatient and isn't hard working when he doesn't want to be. Yes, he is quite easy going and generally good natured but his temper sometimes gets the better of him so Hufflepuff wasn't a

suitable choice.

Ruling out Ravenclaw was an entirely different kettle of fish. Finnigan had all the right traits for Ravenclaw: talented, competitive and logical. He could do really well in Ravenclaw so instead of thinking of what traits he had that weren't suited to Ravenclaw like I did for Hufflepuff, I had to think how he would mature as a person if I sorted him into Ravenclaw. I expect his grades would be slightly better but I don't think he would enjoy himself as much. Finnigan wants to do well in life but he wants to have fun doing it and the other Ravenclaws might intimidate him come exam time. Yes, he wouldn't be as intelligent as some of the other Ravenclaws but I think he could keep up and I don't just sort people into Ravenclaw based on their intelligence. Ravenclaw is so much more than just having a good brain and I feel that a lot of people forget that. Finnigan himself seemed to be surprised at me considering Ravenclaw for him but I don't think he would be happy there and I always make sure that the students will be happy in their houses.

That meant by process of elimination, Finnigan would have to go to Gryffindor. He was definitely brave enough and was determined and driven. I needed to put him somewhere so Gryffindor is where Finnigan went.

Neville Longbottom

When it gets difficult to choose between the houses for a certain student, I have to consider how they will grow and change if I sort them into a particular house. Neville Longbottom was one of those cases. I knew where I wanted him to go as soon as he put me on. I remember every single person I sort and his mind was so similar to his parents that I wanted to put him in Gryffindor. But Longbottom was so scared of the prospect of Gryffindor that he begged to be put in Hufflepuff. He is so shy and timid that at first he might seem ill suited to Gryffindor but I'm confident he will change as he gets older and will eventually do very well in Gryffindor. It might take him a while though.

Longbottom's main problem, which will stop him being a good Gryffindor for some time, is that he lacks confidence in himself. That's why he wanted to be in Hufflepuff so badly as he thought that he didn't have any particular trait to be sorted into the other houses. But he was wrong.

He might not show it now but Longbottom will grow to be extremely brave and loyal, just like his parents. I don't often think about the parents when I'm sorting a student but I could tell how similar Longbottom was to his parents so he had to go in their house, Gryffindor is just right for him. He's determined, helpful and will grow to be courageous and brave. Longbottom might think I was wrong now but he'll thank me for it later. He's too passionate and once he matures he will find that Hufflepuff would've been too easy going for him.

Dean Thomas

Dean Thomas was yet another student sorted this year that could've gone into three different houses. The choice was between Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff – Thomas is too selfless and brave for Slytherin. This bravery that meant he couldn't be in Slytherin, made me lean towards Gryffindor as Thomas certainly shows some traits of Gryffindor such as courage and loyalty. However Gryffindors tend to sometimes be hot tempered and reckless and Thomas doesn't seem to be either of those things.

That's what made me consider Hufflepuff. Thomas is open minded and gets along well with just about everyone so he'd make a lot of friends with Hufflepuff. But he doesn't seem to mind breaking the rules and isn't so bothered about fair play, which again made me think of Gryffindor as competitiveness is a trait of Gryffindor.

Yet this meant I needed to consider Ravenclaw as well as Ravenclaws are even more competitive than Gryffindors. Thomas is creative, has a sharp mind and is enthusiastic about learning magic so Ravenclaw was a possible for him.

Throughout considering these three different houses, I always seemed to be leaning towards Gryffindor. Yes, Thomas was competitive and creative like a Ravenclaw and he was good natured like a Hufflepuff but these traits could apply for Gryffindor. For Thomas I went with my gut instinct and sorted him into Gryffindor.

Ronald Weasley

And now we've reached the final student that I sorted into Gryffindor this year. Ronald Weasley- fifth Weasley child I'd sorted in this generation. All Weasleys tend to go to Gryffindor so I was reasonably confident that this Weasley would go the same way but I still had to have a quick check just to make sure he was the same as his family.

It wasn't too difficult, even if he wasn't a Weasley it wouldn't have taken me long to sort him. He has brains but can't be bothered to use them so Ravenclaw was out. He's not particularly calculating and cunning and prefers to have things out with people so Slytherin was out. He's a good natured person and very loyal but he has too much of a temper and can be insensitive sometimes by accident so Hufflepuff wouldn't really suit him.

This Weasley has a similar mind to the rest of his family. He's brave, protective of his friends and family, courageous and determined. He suited Gryffindor perfectly, just like the rest of his family. Weasley is quite insecure about being overshadowed by his brothers but being in Gryffindor will help him believe in himself and give him the confidence that he needs. I can guarantee that he will do well in Gryffindor as his hearts in the right place and I'm sure he'll make lots of friends.

I wasn't on his head for long before sorting him into Gryffindor but for the brief time I was, I got the impression that he wanted to be in Gryffindor so he wouldn't let his family down. Normally I would consider sorting him somewhere else away from his brothers but he was a Gryffindor through and through so there was no choice but to put Weasley where he belonged – in Gryffindor.

Well that's Gryffindor done. Some of them might not be happy about my decision but they'll come to learn why I put them there. I feel that this years lot will do well, they will all grow into strong independent characters and I look forward to seeing how they get on especially the ones who think I've sorted them incorrectly – I love proving them wrong. Anyway onto Slytherin!

 **Authors Note:** Sorry if they're all a bit repetitive but all these characters are in Gryffindor because they have the same traits so it's hard to give each character different traits. Thanks for reading!


	3. Slytherin

**Slytherin**

Draco Malfoy

This should have been an easy one and in a way it was but out of all the students I've sorted this year, I feel that this was the worst decision I made. I doubt the student in question will mind, he had his heart set on Slytherin but now looking back on it, I feel like I should've put more thought into it and maybe considered another house.

From the outside Malfoy is the perfect little Slytherin. Cunning, ambitious and smart he will go on to do great things and Slytherin will help him reach his potential. He wanted Slytherin so badly as well and I do love it when I can make the student happy, its one of the perks of the job.

Like any other student, I went through the normal elimination process. Malfoy is too arrogant for Hufflepuff and whether that is down to his upbringing or not, I can safely say that Malfoy certainly does not have the right attitude towards other people to be a Hufflepuff. He is very loyal to his friends though and is caring towards the people he truly loves but whilst this is extremely Hufflepuff of him, it can easily be a Slytherin trait.

Do you see what I mean now? Slytherin is not as bad as everyone thinks and I am sick of people painting all Slytherins with the same brush as Voldemort. There is plenty of love and kindness in Slytherin just as much as Gryffindor.

Anyway excuse my little rant, back to Malfoy.

I did consider Ravenclaw for him as when he can be bothered, Malfoy is actually quite smart, especially in problem solving and logic but he doesn't always make wise decisions so Ravenclaw would not have suited him that well.

Which just left Gryffindor and Slytherin.

In a way, Malfoy and Potter are two sides of the same coin. One desperate for Gryffindor who could've done well in Slytherin and one desperate for Slytherin who would've been better suited for Gryffindor. Malfoy had the potential to be brave and bold but his mind has been clouded by his family which has led to him to desire to be a Slytherin and I of course was happy to oblige him, since he would do well there.

For now Slytherin is the best fit for him but in a few years time?

I'm not so sure. I do stand by my decision, he will do well in Slytherin but, then again he would also have done well in Gryffindor. It's a fifty- fifty chance really. A part of me feels I made the right decision whilst another part of me is bitterly disappointed that I didn't sort him into Gryffindor. We shall to wait and see how this affects him but Gryffindor will always be a niggling doubt in my mind, no matter what happens.

Theodore Nott 

This one was much easier than Malfoy although I did have to spend quite some time thinking over it and the poor children always worry when I do that. Looking into Nott's brain, Slytherin didn't really jump out at me like a house will in most peoples brains; he seems very adaptable and could probably do well in any house I put him in. Gryffindor was ruled out immediately as Nott chooses to stay out of trouble and let other people do the fighting and he's also quite quiet, not in a talkative way but meaning that he prefers to stay calm and calculate things rather than be hot tempered and rush into situations which is a typical Gryffindor trait.

Hufflepuff was then quickly eliminated as Nott is quite vengeful which means he wouldn't suit Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw seemed like a strong possibility for Nott as he is extremely intelligent and I expect he will go on to do great things and I would have put him in Ravenclaw if it wasn't for his attitude towards work.

You see Nott knows he's intelligent (it'd be pretty difficult for him not to have spotted it) and this means that he wont always put 100% effort in if he doesn't think it is worth the time. Combine this with him not caring enough and Nott no longer seems to have the right personality for a Ravenclaw.

So the only house left was Slytherin: loyal, ambitious and cunning, it is the perfect house for Nott.

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle

I put these two together because they're like two peas in a pod and like I said earlier, I can talk about some students more than others. These two were very easy to place as they are natural Slytherins.

Not to be rude but they aren't the sharpest quills in the box and therefore needed guidance as they would be very loyal to whoever they followed, which coincidentally is a Slytherin trait.

Ravenclaw was out as they just simply weren't smart enough. Hufflepuff was out almost as quickly as they are just too thuggish and aggressive to be kind and I just didn't think they would fit in there.

Maybe Hufflepuff would've changed them for the better but it was too much of a risk to take; I wouldn't want any Hufflepuffs ending up in the hospital wing!

Gryffindor was also ruled out as without a leader, these two are nothing, they aren't really bold or adventurous. Again Gryffindor could help them reach their potential but it could also have backfired spectacularly. This is why Slytherin is perfect for them. They are reasonably ambitious and want to do well in the world but need guidance and a leader and the fraternity in Slytherin will help them in this. I just hope that eventually they will be able to stand on their own two feet.

Daphne Greengrass 

Compared to the last two, this one was pretty difficult. The Greengrass family name is not actually that common in Hogwarts as many family members have gone to foreign schools in the past so I was particularly looking forward to sort this girl and I wasn't disappointed. Compared to some people, Greengrass has quite a complex mind and could've done quite well in all the houses meaning that it was a difficult decision for me. She is wise and quite reserved like a Ravenclaw but finds no enjoyment in learning and is very modest. She's brave enough for Gryffindor but is not very bold or outgoing. Hufflepuff would have been a good match as Greengrass is very nice and isn't vengeful but she can be a bit vain. And then of course, there's Slytherin as she is extremely cunning and loyal but actually isn't that ambitious.

I was torn between Hufflepuff and Slytherin which I have to say is an unusual mix but eventually the pure bloodlines persuaded me to go for Slytherin.

Everyone's always saying how Slytherin only take purebloods and I personally think its a load of rot and I should know since I'm the one who decides. Of course I am quite bias towards purebloods when it comes to Slytherin and I do always consider Slytherin for them but that's only because of Salazar Slytherin. Since he wanted students of the purest blood, a lot of purebloods seem to think it's their destiny to be in Slytherin even though I've sorted plenty of half-bloods there. Combine desire with genes and you get a pureblood child full of genes screaming to be put in Slytherin. Many a time I've had to argue that Slytherin is not the right house, regardless of what that particular child actually wants. It's not always easy to ignore, especially if the child has a privileged upbringing and in some cases, if Slytherin is possibility for them, I will sort a pureblood into Slytherin and this is what happened for Greengrass. Hufflepuff would have been fine but at the end of the day, Slytherin might be the best place for her.

Blaise Zabini 

I've never seen a Zabini before in my time at Hogwarts and since he isn't Muggle-born, I was curious about what his personality would be like since I have heard of his mother who in my opinion, would have definitely been in Slytherin had she come to Hogwarts. This Zabini is no different although I do think he has a much nicer personality than his mother and will not be murdering anyone any time soon.

Witty, charming and sophisticated, he is the perfect Slytherin.

Hufflepuff was ruled out immediatley for Zabini as he is far too arrogant and is extremely spoilt. This also ruled out Gryffindor as he is not selfless enough and would never think of others before himself, which in my opinion, is quite a wise choice sometimes.

Out of the two houses that were left, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, after weighing up the two options, Slytherin just seemed like the better option. Zabini has no true thirst for knowledge like most Ravenclaws, actually he considers education beneath him and cares much more about money than pursuing a worthwhile career. Slytherin will help him fulfil his potential.

Pansy Parkinson 

Another one who was obviously a Slytherin.

She seemed quite eager to go there as well, much more eager than most of the other Slytherins I'd already sorted. Slytherins tend to be quite ambitious but Parkinson is the one of the most ambitious I've ever sorted, she'll definitely try and climb the pureblood society ladder. This may have enabled her to go to Ravenclaw but the problem with that was, to put it bluntly, she just isn't smart enough.

Hufflepuff was also out as whilst Parkinson is loyal to her friends, she doesn't spare a thought for anyone she doesn't like. She's bossy and shows a lack of discipline so Hufflepuff was definitely out.

Gryffindor also just didn't seem to fit as she's too interested in self-preservation and while I don't encourage recklessness, I do think Parkinson might be quite cowardly so placing her in Gryffindor just didn't feel right. She's very confident in herself so Slytherin will be fine for her, although she might have become a better person if she'd been sorted somewhere else.

Millicent Bulstrode 

This one was only really a toss up between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Unfortunately Bulstrode isn't quite smart enough for Ravenclaw and is too hot-tempered for Hufflepuff. When truly angered I think she could be quite aggressive so Hufflepuff was definitely out.

Bulstrode is very bold and isn't afraid to fight for what she believes in, especially animal rights, and that is very Gryffindor of her. I think she would be brave, given the chance but it's always difficult to judge how brave someone will be, in my experience it is all very well to say you're brave but when given a chance to prove this, you might be a total coward.

Despite this, I think Bulstrode would be brave and therefore should have gone to Gryffindor. But when I considered it, it just didn't feel right. My instincts were saying Slytherin and sometimes I just have to go with my gut feeling (even though I don't have one!)

Loyal, reasonably confident around her friends are Slytherin traits and Bulstrode has these making me more inclined to pick Slytherin. On top of this she's a pureblood and her family have been in Slytherin for generations so I had no issues with putting her Slytherin and I hope the very best for her.

Tracey Davis

Out of all the Slytherins I sorted, this one was the most disappointed with the result and practically begged me to change my mind. She's a halfblood a few generations down the line so she won't have any issues with the other Slytherins but she was desperate to be in Ravenclaw. I'll admit it's unusual for a student to be so upset they'd beg me to change my mind.

Ravenclaw was a possibility for Davis as she loves books and was actually looking forward to learning new things. The enjoyment of learning was there but I felt in Davis' case, it was overshadowed by a need to prove herself.

Davis is very ambitious and that made me feel that Slytherin would actually be better for her than Ravenclaw. She would've done well in both houses as she's quiet and calm and is very logical and thinks things through, the complete opposite of a Gryffindor.

I feel that whilst Ravenclaw would suit Davis for now, in a few years she'd feel it wasn't enough and she wouldn't reach her full potential there. Davis might be upset now but she'll soon learn how to be a Slytherin: cunning and calculating. In fairness to her she was halfway there; she just needed a little push into the right house.


End file.
